Kill their men, women, children, and even their babies.

[JohnR7]

We know why they were to kill every man, woman and child. But this is a big point of contention with Atheists. Why would God want mankind to destroy ourselves like this?  Jesus teaches us that as Christians we are to love our enemy and do good to those who abuse  and are evil toward us. So is there that much difference between the old and the new covenant?  1 Samuel 15:3 Moses also talks about this in Deut,

Deuteronomy 20:16
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

[Who me]

4 minutes ago, JohnR7 said:

Why would God want mankind to destroy ourselves like this?  Jesus teaches us that as Christians we are to love our enemy and do good to those who abuse  and are evil toward us. So is there that much difference between the old and the new covenant?

 

If asked this, always ask them for their views on abortion and why they pemit it?

Mankind is not destroying itself. God is ordering the Israelites to punish a nation.

Remind them of their hypocritical views as they object to God ordering mass killing yet also object when he permits the keeping of slaves!

Challenge them about what standard of morality are they using and importantly, where do they get it from?

Often one has atheists objecting to God using Christian morality !

 

Final point All life comes from God, just as All life is ended by God.

Which deaths are they objecting too?

[JohnR7]

5 minutes ago, Who me said:

Final point All life comes from God, just as All life is ended by God.

Which deaths are they objecting too?

Some people believe the physical body dies but there is a part of us that lives forever and is eternal. 

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Does that mean our life is a test to see if we are loyal to God or not? 

[Who me]

2 minutes ago, JohnR7 said:

Some people believe the physical body dies but there is a part of us that lives forever and is eternal. 

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Does that mean our life is a test to see if we are loyal to God or not? 

 

You can call it a test if you want.

The bible is clear in this life we choose Jesus or reject him.

Those who rejected him here, reject him through eternity.

[TheBlade]

If were talking about OT.. I really looked into that and Israel did some searching and so far each place that happened they never found any evidence of women and children being there. Not that they were not there

[JohnR7]

4 hours ago, Who me said:

 

You can call it a test if you want.

The bible is clear in this life we choose Jesus or reject him.

Those who rejected him here, reject him through eternity.

Daniel 12:2 tells us: "And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt." This has to do with our relationship with God. I would not want to live apart from God and I would not want to spend eternity (everlasting) apart from God. 

[JohnR7]

4 hours ago, Who me said:

the keeping of slaves!

Slavery lasted 7 years or if you were an enemy of Israel 49 years. Then they were to be set free on the golden jubilee. 

[Who me]

17 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

Slavery lasted 7 years or if you were an enemy of Israel 49 years. Then they were to be set free on the golden jubilee. 

 

Have you ever talked to someone hostile to Christianity?

Do you know the arguements and objections they raise?

 

Why do you think I mention slavery?

[Jayne]

22 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

We know why they were to kill every man, woman and child. But this is a big point of contention with Atheists. Why would God want mankind to destroy ourselves like this?  Jesus teaches us that as Christians we are to love our enemy and do good to those who abuse  and are evil toward us. So is there that much difference between the old and the new covenant?  1 Samuel 15:3 Moses also talks about this in Deut,

Deuteronomy 20:16
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

[1.]  We must not look at these things with modern "God is mean; I am a victim" sensitivities.

[2.]  God, Himself, is  the only righteous Judge.

[3.]  In the Old Testament, the Promised Land was given to Abraham.  By the time Jacob was an old man, God's people left the Promised Land and were enslaved in Egypt.  Pagan peoples indwelt the Promised Land and their false gods and grotesque worship practices grew with abandon.

[4.]  By the time that Moses led the people from Egpyt back to the Promise Land, it had been about 600 years since God had promised Abraham that he would be the father of a great nation.  600 years of an opportunity for repentance from those pagan people.

[5.] God was very patient with those people in giving them 600 years to repent.  Rahab the Harlot repented and so did others.  For anyone to charge God with cruelty is not understanding him at all.  Those young children and babies will be in heaven.

[6.]  I don't remember if it is in 1 0r 2 Kings or 1 or 2 Chronicles, but there is a story of God killing a young boy.  When asked why, God said that his family was horrid and wicked and God was sparing him.

[servant4christ]

22 hours ago, JohnR7 said:

We know why they were to kill every man, woman and child. But this is a big point of contention with Atheists. Why would God want mankind to destroy ourselves like this?  Jesus teaches us that as Christians we are to love our enemy and do good to those who abuse  and are evil toward us. So is there that much difference between the old and the new covenant?  1 Samuel 15:3 Moses also talks about this in Deut,

Deuteronomy 20:16
However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes.

Yes, this directive still bothers me quite a bit. I wish I understood why God was ordering the death of innocents along with the guilty.